Hell's Gate
by Invisibly Gone
Summary: There had always been rumors and stories of ghosts at the old asylum. Whispers of strange hauntings and happenings. Anna never believed in that rubbish, but there was always that lingering doubt- that small niggling thought in the back of her mind- that would draw her eyes to the path to Hell's Gate. There was something there, something that was calling to her. Or someone.
1. The Dare

**I don't own Frozen**

In Arendelle, there's a hill in the southwest of the town. At the very top, there's an empty area where a mental asylum used to be. After a devastating inferno, only rubble and rocks remained. Rumors of ghosts, murders, and the terrible actions of escaped patients who remained there was common knowledge to those who lived in Arendelle.

Anna was dared to spend Halloween night at Hell's Gate. Hans had mocked her for being too scared to even watch ghost movies while Kristoff called Hans a dick. Eventually, Anna decided to tough it out. After all, ghosts didn't exist right? And the asylum had shut down too long ago for any crazy people or murderers to remain there.

The next evening on Halloween night, Kristoff drove Anna up the hill. He handed her a bag containing blankets, water bottles, food, and a flare gun.

"Are you sure you really want to do this?" He asked. Worry was etched on his face. "Didn't you hear about the guy and girl who went up here? The guy got strung up on a branch and the girl just heard his feet brushing against the car!"

Anna brushed him off. "That was years ago, Kris. There isn't anything like that left here."

Before he could argue, Anna got out of the car. "Just come back and pick me up at sunrise, okay?"

Kristoff watched her trek up the path leading to where the asylum had once been.

"Just be okay," he whispered to no one.

—

The hike up to Hell's Gate hadn't been a long one. Just a few minutes of walking later, Anna had already arrived at the famed rubble pile. She set down the bag of supplies and sat down on one of the rocks. She idly traced scorch marks on the rocks. There was no point in trying to get some sleep tonight. Not that she was scared of ghosts, but what if a coyote came up? At least that's what she told herself.

Connection was terrible up the hill. Anna hadn't been able to call or text anyone. Nor had she been able to go on websites to entertain herself for the night. After an hour, she submitted herself to playing the pitiful games on her phone to pass the time.

Around midnight, she heard a ruffling from the trees and bushes. She pulled out a flashlight and pointed it at the shaking plants.

"Who's there?" she called out. "It's not funny if you're trying to be scary!"

Several seconds passed and the noise died.

"Hello?"

Nothing.

"Hans, is that you? It's not funny!"

A soft laughter, too soft for it to be Hans or even Kristoff, unnerved her.

"Seriously!"

A pale figure stepped out of the shadows and into the light of Anna's flashlight.

"Didn't mean to scare you," the figure, obviously a girl, laughed. She smiled softly at Anna. The girl's hair matched the paleness of her skin. She was too far away for Anna to see her eyes.

"I wasn't scared," the redhead huffed. "Just wary, you know. There could be coyotes and I could get eaten."

The blonde quirked an eyebrow in disbelief.

"It's true!"

"Sure," she replied sarcastically. She points to the empty side of the rock Anna's sitting on. "Do you mind if I sit with you?"

Ana shrugged. "It'd be nice to have company."

The blonde smiled and made her way over. Now that she was close, Anna could tell that the girl's eyes were an icy kind of blue color.

"I'm Anna," she introduced.

"Elsa." Elsa pulled a book seemingly out of nowhere and laid it on her lap. "What are you doing here so late? Should you have gone trick-or-treating and drowned yourself in sugar?"

"A jerk of a friend dared me to come up here," she brushed off nonchalantly. "What about you?"

Elsa shrugged. "I live nearby and people seem to have a tendency to come up here alone on dark nights. I thought someone would like some company this time."

"Oh." Anna fumbled around with her words, trying to find something to say. She gestured to the book in Elsa's lap. "What's that?"

"It's just a book." The blonde shrugged. "Do you want me to read it to you?"

At Anna's vigorous nod, Elsa opened the book to the first page and started reading. Only a handful of words in later, Anna had already stopped her.

"You speak Norwegian?" she asked excitedly. She was practically vibrating in her seat. Hardly anyone else in town, zero others other than her family to be precise, were Norwegian. Anna was proud of her heritage and excited to have someone to share it with. "I do, too! But I can't really read it."

Elsa smiled. "I can teach you, if you'd like."

Anna look over at the book while Elsa read, the redhead's eyes slowly following the characters on the page as Elsa read. She leaned over slightly and noticed how cold the blonde was.

"Here, let me grab a blanket," she offered as she pulled up the bag and took out the largest blanket. She wrapped it around herself and the other girl, scooting closer as she did so. This was so the blonde could warm up fast, Anna told herself, and not because she's attractive.

From then until just before sunrise, the girls sat together. Elsa patiently explained how the letters sounded and how they were different from reading plain English. Anna took the information in stride but still struggled with the occasional word.

At some point, Anna had dozed off but quickly woke up when the blonde moved. Elsa told her to get some sleep but Anna refused and continued learning how to read the book.

—-

Too soon for the redhead, it was time for Kristoff to pick her up and for her to leave.

"Am I going to see you again?" She asked as they walked down the trail together.

Elsa shrugged noncommittally. "Maybe."

When they arrived at the prearranged area for Kristoff to pick Anna, the burly blond hadn't arrived yet. The girls stood together talking as they waited for the car to arrive.

A few minutes after the sun came up, Anna heard the telltale signs of Kristoff's old station wagon. Impulsively, she pulled Elsa into a hug.

"I'll come up sometime and we can hang out or something," she mumbled into the taller girl's shoulder before she let go.

The blonde smiled down at her. "I'll be here."

Not a second later, Kristoff pulled up and honked. "Hey there, Red!"

Anna picked up her bag and smiled at Elsa before getting into the car. She threw a small wave at the girl who still stood at the edge of the road before turning to Kristoff.

"So how was your night?"

Kristoff shrugged. "It was alright. How was your lonely night up at Hell's Gate?"

"It was pretty good," Anna grinned. "I made a friend up there. A girl named Elsa."

Kristoff cast a glance at Anna before turning his eyes back to the road. "She didn't walk down with you? Being alone up here isn't a good idea."

Anna looked up at him quizzically. "She did. She was right there next to me."

The masculine driver frowned. "Anna, you were standing alone."

_Fuck._


	2. Coming Back

"Elsa!" Anna spun around and faced the opposite direction. "Elsa!"

It was the Friday after Halloween night and Anna finally had time to come back to Hell's Gate. Over the week, Hans had spent all the time he could teasing Anna when Kristoff let slip that Anna had spent the night with a ghost.

When Hans first learned about Anna's supernatural encounter, he had made fun of her. Being the self-proclaimed expert on Hell's Gate that he was, Hans claimed that he knew every story that had ever come from the asylum remains. This had led to Anna pestering him for everything he knew about a blonde haired, blue eyed girl.

Hans had gone off about a pretty woman who had started the asylum fire and burned everything down. After getting socked by Kristoff for trying to scare Anna, Hans admitted that Elsa was most likely just a lost escapee that died in the fire.

Somehow, Anna became convinced that they needed to find a way to rescue the forsaken spirit and release her to heaven or wherever it was that souls went after death. That's what led Anna back to Hell's Gate. Hans had outright refused to go, claiming that it wasn't because he was afraid but because he had a date. Kristoff had been too busy with his family's ranch to accompany Anna but lent her his car as long as she promised to pick him up on Monday.

Now, Anna was here. Alone.

"Elsa!" she called out again. It had been over an hour since she had arrived and the sun was already starting to set. The fall breeze, especially at the peak of the hill, chilled her to her bones.

Another half hour of slowly faltering yelling later, Anna sat down on the floor and decided to wait.

_Elsa's a ghost. Don't ghosts only come out at night? _With that thought, she settled down onto the floor. Five minutes later, she wished she'd had the foresight to have brought something to entertain herself with. Twenty minutes later, she heard a ruffling sound behind her.

"Elsa!" she greeted excitedly. Sadly, when she turned around, Elsa wasn't there to greet her. It had just been the wind. Anna sighed in disappointment before settling down on the floor again and leaning against a rock. She positioned herself so she could at least watch the sunset.

It was a beautiful sight. Behind her were grey clouds that transitioned to blue sky before fading away into the orange and red of the sunset. She heard a sigh from next to her and Anna turned towards the source, nearly jolting back in shock.

"Aren't beautiful sunsets supposed to be enjoyed with someone you love?" The pale blonde asked. She turned and faced Anna who looked like a deer caught in headlights. Elsa chuckled. The blonde had the book from the previous time they had seen each other resting on her lap. Elsa had turned towards the sunset and smiled softly. "I'm surprised you came back."

"I'm the one who asked if I'd ever see you again," Anna shrugged off. While her voice was mostly calm, her facial expression gave away her nervousness. Thoughts raced through her mind- question upon question that vied to be asked but no words passed her lips. Elsa glanced back at her and chuckled softly. Anna pouted. "What's so funny?"

"Your face," the blonde laughed. Anna's pout morphed into a frown. "Oh, don't mar it with such petty looks. You're much more beautiful when you're smiling."

Anna looked down to her lap, her face tinted red. "You're beautifuller. I mean- not fuller. Not that you're not full. You're defini- I'm going to shut up now."

Elsa giggled, covering her mouth with a pale hand. _Ghostly pale_, Anna realized.

"Shouldn't you be with your friends?" Elsa inquired, redirecting her attention from Anna's embarrassment. "You should be enjoying your life."

In a rare moment of tact, Anna had been able to pick up on the other message behind that sentence and had not outright called Elsa a ghost. She reached out for Elsa's hand, slightly wary of her own hand passing through the blonde's despite having cuddled next to her a few nights prior, and held onto it. Some part of her brain warned her that this was the unexplored and she should be cautious but the more dominant side reasoned that, if Elsa were going to hurt her, the blonde would have done so already.

Elsa turned and smiled a sorrowful smile. "I'm aware that you know, Anna."

_Well, so much for subtlety._

* * *

**THANK YOU, ISTALIR FOR YOUR AMAZING HELP AT WRITING A MUCH BETTER SUMMARY!**


	3. Compulsion

**THANK YOU, ISTA, FOR THE SUMMARY!**

* * *

_"I'm aware that you know."_

A silence passed, one permeated only by the sound of Anna's mouth clicking shut every now and again as she tried to find words to say. After the fifth time Anna's jaw fell open, Elsa lightly pushed it back up with the hand that was still held down by Anna's own one. The blonde held the girl's mouth closed until she managed to do it herself. Unfortunately, Anna's method of keeping her mouth shut was by biting her lower lip harshly, drawing blood from it.

Elsa, her hand remaining in contact with Anna's skin, wiped away the rivulet of blood with a thumb. Anna winced at the pain. When a new stream of the mortal ichor emerged from the wound, the specter wiped it away again. Anna winced again but less intensely. Elsa repeated this thrice more before the flow seemed to have been stymied and Anna's winces died down to nothing.

The blonde pulled away her hand and let it drop down to her lap. Anna's eyes follow the blood-covered limb fall. Interestingly enough, the blood seemed to fade into Elsa's skin. There was no show of light or magic like Anna had expected. It just faded.

That wasn't the only thing Anna had noticed. As soon as the blood had vanished, Elsa seemed to lighten up in a way. Physically, there wasn't anything noticeable that had changed. She was still as solid as she had been before, something that seemed odd to Anna considering she was talking about a ghost. Anna had noticed the seemingly ethereal beauty- a beauty which Anna had not realized until now was probably due to the otherworldly nature of the being in front of her- and nothing had seemed to change. The light blue turtle neck was still a light blue turtle neck. The faded jeans were still faded jeans. The light blonde braid was still a light blonde braid. Yet Elsa seemed… warmer, more _there_.

"-here, Anna."

Anna jerked out of her reverie and brought her gaze up to meet Elsa's. "Huh?"

"I said that I'm surprised that you're still here, Anna," the blonde repeated in a slow voice that seemed to be laced with worry. For whatever reason, she started rubbing circles on the back of Anna's hand with a cold thumb. Or maybe she had already been doing that but the redhead hadn't noticed. Anna wasn't sure.

"Of course I'm still here," Anna finally managed to say. "Why wouldn't I still be here?"

Elsa smiled before turning back to the sunset. "Beautiful sunsets are supposed to be shared with someone you love, but you're here with a ghost."

Anna frowned. "Maybe I love you."

Elsa shook her head, still smiling. "You've known me for one day. You can't possibly love me."

"Maybe," she acquiesced, nerves not really letting her argue. "But I do love that you can teach me how to read written Norse even if you're a ghost and all."

Elsa stared at her quizzically. "Does it not bother you?"

Anna shrugged. "Should it?"

Several seconds passed while Anna waited for a response. Finally, Elsa let out a sigh. "You are a strange child."

"Maybe I am," Anna agreed. Suddenly, it hit her. Elsa was all alone up here, probably since the asylum burned down who knows how many years ago. This girl, wraith or not, didn't want to see her run away. While that wasn't precisely what Elsa was thinking, it was enough to convince the ever impulsive Anna to remain right next to Elsa and hold the ghost's hand. "So how about it?"

"'How about' what?" Elsa blinked in confusion. She had expected the girl to run long ago, yet she stayed.

"How about you continue teaching me?" Anna grinned. Elsa smiled and opened her book.

* * *

"No, Anna."

"But come_ on,_" the redhead whined as she tried to drag her overly muscular friend to the door. Hans smirked from the corner of Anna's room before turning back to his book. He had become used to his two friends' antics just as they had grown used to him.

It was the day after Anna had gone to visit Hell's Gate and her mother had been adamantly against her going out all night yet again. She did, however, allow for her daughter's two closest friends to stay over for the night. It may have concerned other parents but Anna's mother had watched the three grow up together. It also helped that Anna had no interest in boys and the other ginger had no interest in girls. Kristoff was an unknown but she trusted him.

This had led to Anna trying to convince Kristoff to drive her up to Hell's Gate after her failed attempt at convincing Hans.

"Anna! It's dangerous!" Kristoff forcefully sat himself on the floor, dragging Anna down with him. He refused to budge no matter how hard the girl pushed and shoved.

"If the girl wants to get herself killed, I say let her," Hans scoffed. He regretted it when a shoe hit him on the head. A second later, a one-shoed blonde boy with a redheaded girl clinging to his waist with her body being dragged across the floor yanked Hans's book out of his hands and tossed it onto the bed.

"Elsa's not dangerous," Anna stated. Her voice was muffled by the cloth of Kristoff's shirt. "She's just lonely."

A pleading look from Kristoff later, Hans aided in the detangling of the other redhead's arms from around the bulky blond. After managing that endeavor, they sat the girl down on one side of her bed while they sat on the other.

"She's not dangerous," Anna stated once again. "She just needs a friend."

Hans rubbed his temples, trying to stall the oncoming headache. "For the last time, she's a ghost, Anna. They don't get lonely."

Anna huffed. "Well, _she_ does."

"Anna," Kristoff groaned in frustration. "You've been saying that she's all innocent for the past three hours."

"She is!"

"Anna!" Hans reached over and pulled the girl closer. "You are my best friend and you should really be glad we don't think you're insane, but Elsa is a _ghost_. Do they even understand the concept of time passing anymore?"

"_She_ does!"

"Anna, listen to yourself!" Anna fell back against her bed frame, startled by the sudden increase in volume. Hans took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "You are becoming obsessive over this girl- ghost- you saw a week ago. It's not healthy."

Anna frowned and tucked her knees below her chin. "She's lonely."

Kristoff sighed and pulled Hans away from Anna before turning to her himself. "Anna, it's not safe."

Anna didn't respond. Kristoff sighed again before forcibly moving the girl into a comfortable lying position and cover her with a comforter. Hans went back to his corner to read, casting glances at the girl to make sure she hadn't run off, and Kristoff sat at the edge of the bed, occasionally glancing at the redheaded girl or staring off into space.

_She's lonely._

* * *

**_wooooo, compulsions._**


End file.
